I poured up some egg sinkers today and am thinking about buying a jig head mold.
Do you guys find it cost effective to pour your own?
Also, what size head do you prefer? 1/8 or 1/4, for tossing soft plastics for trout/redfish?
Finally— what mold do you suggest? Most of the Do-It molds I see online are for smaller hooks, but for inshore we need the wider gap hooks for things like Trout Tricks or PaddlerZ.
I usually use the 1/8 but may get a second jig for 1/4. I don’t like the “assorted” jig because it takes FOREVER to pour up a batch if you only need 1 size (hard to keep the mold hot enough without heating it with a flame).
I just don’t know that it would be worth another $40 for a second jig size. I may just get the 1/8 and try to drill out a couple of the heads to make them a little bigger. Or just ruin it altogether lol.
If anyone has a jig head mold they are interested in selling/trading, PM me. Thanks!
I pour just about all of the heads I use now from panfish to grouper dropping, and you won’t find a good mold IMO that suits all needs for inshore because the lighter weights call for a hook that’s too weak for decent reds. There are some good molds that make quality heads for trout, but for reds, you need a flipping-style hook , and Do-It does not have a 1/16-3/16 oz. mold built to hold a sharp, strong, wide-gap hook…yet. With the popularity of the A-Rig for bass fishing, the fresh water guys are SCREAMING for light, strong heads to fish the A-Rig in shallow water. In the interim time, you will have to settle for smaller hooks, or have a custom mold cut that will run you from $150-$500 depending on how many cavities you desire. I have gone this route, and it has been well worth the money because I go through so many jigs and flutter hooks in a year’s time. Believe me, it’s much easier to pop off a hung 15 cent head than it is one that cost a dollar or more.
OK. Thanks for your input.
So this gamakatsu jig with 2/0 or 3/0 hooks wouldn’t work? (I didn’t see this jig until earlier today)…There are only a few places I can find these hooks online and they run around 38 cents each (not counting shipping) if you buy 100 packs.
http://do-itmolds.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=1_7_200
That mold calls for a 604 Gamakatsu which is measured in the aberdeen category, ie. it is very small as compared to O’Shaugnessy or flipping hook gaps. They are even too small (IMO) for trout. It’s a very sharp and strong hook, just too short and small to fish 3-5 inch plastics such as Gulp!, Assassins, and Z-Mans. Best jig hooks for the money for salt water use would be black nickel, Mustad UltraPoints and needle points.
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Originally posted by Redfish_matt
OK. Thanks for your input.
So this gamakatsu jig with 2/0 or 3/0 hooks wouldn’t work? (I didn’t see this jig until earlier today)…There are only a few places I can find these hooks online and they run around 38 cents each (not counting shipping) if you buy 100 packs.
http://do-itmolds.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=1_7_200
OK I see.
I was hoping that these were the same hooks in the Gamakatsu jig heads that you get at Haddrels’ for the Trout Tricks and similar plastics.
They ARE the same style and model hook, just larger sizes. For instance, Gamakatsu’s 1/8th oz. ball head is poured with a 4/0 604, but the Do-It mold calls for a 1/0. That particular Do-It mold is for panfish/walleye grubs in the 2" size range. The Shake-IT head is a fairly good all around mold that accepts a larger hook, although a little weak for larger reds.
quote:
Originally posted by Redfish_matt
OK I see.
I was hoping that these were the same hooks in the Gamakatsu jig heads that you get at Haddrels’ for the Trout Tricks and similar plastics.
Ok, I see now. Thanks for all the help.
Now, if you yourself have a custom mold made, do you sell jig heads?
No, there’s no money in it, and although I’m in the lure business, any lead pouring on a commercial scale is subbed out to folks who specialize in just lead casting. I do it as a hobby and to keep my yearly costs down. I’m also VERY picky as to what I have confidence in, and most times, it cannot be found or is very expensive when you go through a lot of tackle. Quality heads like those made by DOA, Strike King, Bass Assassin, Slayer, etc. can be made for about 15 cents each with the exact same hook they use (Mustad); retail is over a dollar each. It just depends on how much tackle you lose each year to know whether the mold cost is justified.
quote:
Originally posted by Redfish_matt
Ok, I see now. Thanks for all the help.
Now, if you yourself have a custom mold made, do you sell jig heads?
I understand that. The work that goes into pouring egg sinkers almost makes it worth it to just buy them lol. Not quite though.
If I could find a $40 jig, I’d do it. I may have an alternative, jigs can be made out of bondo. Maybe I’ll buy the hooks and use them as a template. I’ve made a good number of pyramid sinkers out of bondo. And I don’t think Bondo wicks the heat away as quickly from the lead the way steel or aluminum jigs do, but I’m not sure.
I thought about doing my own as well. I just grab some while Raddaddy is not looking:smiley:
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30